The Terracotta Warriors

by Edward Burman

Overview

Exciting investigations in northwest China are about to reveal more of the mysteries of the huge mausoleum of the Qin Emperor, a portion of which was accidentally discovered in 1974 by farmers who were digging a well. The second phase of an international research project began in 2011, and more recently, promising new excavations began in Pit 2, with exciting fresh discoveries already announced. The Terracotta Warriors seeks to examine one of China’s most famous archaeological discoveries in light of these new findings.The book begins with the discovery of the terracotta warriors and then tells the history of the Qin Dynasty and as much as is known about the construction of the third century BCE mausoleum, based on the work of the historian Sima Qian (145–90 BCE). He wrote that the First Emperor was buried with palaces, towers, officials, valuable artifacts, and wondrous objects. The new findings and the historical description of the mausoleum suggest that the next discoveries may surpass the size and conception of the original discovery of the terracotta warriors. In the second part, Edward Burman questions who built the warriors, how, and what purpose they served. Finally, he anticipates the ongoing discoveries and describes the new methods of excavation and preservation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681778389
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	31 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Edward Burman holds a degree in Philosophy and Fine Art from the University of Leeds. He has published eighteen books, most recently Xi’an Through European Eyes: A Cultural History in the Year of the Horse. Since 2014, Edward has been a Trustee of the Xi’an City Wall Heritage Foundation; he is the only foreign trustee. He lives in England.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Note on the Text xiii

Introduction: Legends and the 1974 Discovery xvii

I History

1 Warrior Chu 3

2 The Ancestors of Qin Shihuang 9

3 From Provincial Kings to Universal Emperor 29

4 Creation of the Temporal Empire 44

II Mystery

5 What Kind of Immortality Did Qin Shihuang Expect? 67

6 What is the Mausoleum? 77

7 Who Built the Army, and How? 105

8 What were the Warriors for? 119

9 What is in the Mausoleum? 132

III Latest Discoveries

10 Latest Discoveries and Research 151

11 New Techniques for Study, Restoration and Conservation 167

12 Recent Excavations and Current Studies 177

13 Why Did the Qin Fail? 190

Epilogue: Future Prospects 203

Notes 221

Bibliography 244

Acknowledgements 261

Index 264

Editorial Reviews

05/28/2018
Burman (Xi’an Through European Eyes) places the famed terracotta warriors—more than 8,000 life-size terracotta sculptures depicting the army of the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang, that were buried with him—in historical and cultural context while providing the latest research and thought about them in this accessible and thorough work. After an introduction in which he briefly describes the discovery of the terracotta warriors in 1974 and the subsequent archaeological work on the entire mausoleum complex, Burman divides his text into three segments. In the first, he imagines the life of one of the soldiers in Qin Shihuang’s army who might have inspired the clay figures, then sketches the period, including the first emperor’s life from 259 until 210 BCE. The final section takes a closer look at the manufacture of the various artifacts and current efforts at preservation. The middle section—discussing the mysteries of the terracotta warriors in such chapters as “Who Built the Army, and How?” and “What Were the Warriors For?”—may have the most appeal to general readers. By covering all of these aspects, Burman provides a fascinating look at what has been described as the eighth wonder of the world. Any reader interested in China, ancient history, or archaeology will find this rewarding. Agent: Jessica Purdue, Orion. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

“A well-informed examination of ongoing efforts to understand the past.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Burman places the famed terracotta warriors in historical and cultural context while providing the latest research and thought about them in this accessible and thorough work. A fascinating look at what has been described as the eighth wonder of the world. Any reader interested in China, ancient history, or archaeology will find this rewarding.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2018-05-07
Revealing the enduring mysteries surrounding thousands of terra-cotta warriors.In 1974, after an ancient terra-cotta army was unearthed in northwest China, archaeologists embarked on increasingly sophisticated excavations, uncovering a huge mausoleum built for Qin Shihuang (259-210 B.C.E.), known as China's first emperor. Its existence, recognized since his death 2,200 years ago, has generated many "legends and rumors" still not resolved even by technologically advanced archaeological research. Offering an up-to-date overview of archaeological findings, Burman (China and Iran: Parallel History, Future Threat? 2009, etc.), the only foreign trustee of the Xi'an City Wall Heritage Foundation, relates the historical context for the construction of the mausoleum and investigates questions about the emperor's personality, rule, and legacy; prevailing assumptions about the afterlife and efforts at attaining immortality (including burial in a shroud of jade, a material with purported magical powers); and the much-debated role of the warriors. The sprawling mausoleum, writes the author, "was conceived on a scale more massive than any other monument at that stage of human history." Although archaeologists have identified three main precincts—the pit containing the warriors, the burial chamber and other rooms inside the inner wall, and the surrounding area beyond the wall—much of the structure, lying beneath villages, factories, and roads, remains unknown. The burial site, Burman asserts, "was first and foremost to be conceived as a home," which for the emperor meant a palace, including a temple and residences for imperial officials and concubines—where, in the afterlife, "the dead would need their favourite objects, as well as things of value, in the other world." The warriors pose a puzzle: Besides speculating on their function in the mausoleum, scholars question "where the knowledge and inspiration for these lifelike figures came from," since only miniature statues had been found in earlier tombs and since kilns at the time were too small to fire sculpture of such stature. Based on evidence of Alexander the Great's campaigns in Asia, some scholars suggest that cultural exchange existed between Greece and China. A well-informed examination of ongoing efforts to understand the past.

Kirkus Reviews